Insider’s Spain Photo Tour

Despite his name, Harry Fisch is a native of Spain, so is uniquely qualified to be your Cicerone and guide.

On this 11 day Photo Tour of Andalucia, Spain, come with Harry Fisch and Nomad Photo Expeditions to discover the hidden spots, passion, heat, and joy of the south of Spain.

Starting with the Festival of Crosses in Cordoba, with an exclusive access and backstage, intimate opportunities to meet and photograph dancers upholding the tradition of Spanish art, musicians and those who create the signature instruments of the countries. We will have a glimpse inside the premier bullfighting school of Madrid (though no bulls will be seen nor animals harmed), and live for a few days at a functioning olive oil farm and equestrian school.

As an optional extension, a photo tour visiting Portugal

HIGHLIGHTS

The festival of the Crosses in Cordoba

Access to and a photo session at Madrid’s premier bullfighting school (No bulls harmed).

Private photo session with a bullfighter.

Backstage photo shoot at a professional flamenco show

Photo session with a traditional luthier

Tapas and great restaurants

Photographic opportunities all around the patios de Córdoba in their best season.

Hidden architectural gems in Sevilla, Cordoba, Granada

Some impressive Spanish white pueblos

Lunch and wine testing at real Bodegas (Wineries)

Our stay and photo sessions in an open air paella in a beautiful Hacienda (typical andaluzian ranch) with flamenco music and dancers.

Photo sessions with dancers at an official academy of Flamenco.

Classical horse training exhibition with exclusive access to the horses, their trainers, and the behind the scenes of the famous horse shows.

Extended visit to the Palace of Alhambra and photo shoots from within and without.

An exciting optional extension to the most interesting spots of Portugal

The story of Andalucia started at the XIII century, an old one of meshing cultures; it is a contiguous blend of Moorish and Medieval Christian influence, with significant Gypsy contributions as well as the typical Mediterranean flare we’ve come to know and love. We’ll take you through the country to meet the real Spain, the men and women who still press olives in the traditional way, horse trainers, bull farmers, musician artisans, and of course, a liberal spread and tasting of wine and tapas

We offer you exclusive access and backstage, intimate opportunities to meet and photograph dancers upholding the tradition of Spanish art, musicians and those who create the signature instruments of the countries. We will have a glimpse inside the premier bullfighting school of Madrid (though no bulls will be seen nor animals harmed), and live for a few days at a functioning olive oil farm and equestrian school.

You will have photo sessions with real people, people who have been doing the jobs of their forefathers the same way it’s always been done, from chefs in traditional kitchens, to the farmers who raise bulls for the fights that are the same as they were in Hemingway’s time and before. We will visit the bodegas, wineries that have been producing sherry and wine the same way since time immemorial. The country has changed over the course of years, but some things, such as the color and tradition of Andalucia, are still very much alive and well.

Two weeks after our arrival in the states, we are just now coming down from what was probably one of the best trips of our lives. As professionals in the photography business, we went into this experience open-minded and ready to explore. Harry’s energy and commitment not only matched ours, but exceeded it. You would think that a photographer who has been to a country numerous times would somehow let the cumulative effect of all his knowledge make him a complacent and a “dial it in” kind of leader. Harry was the very opposite. His energy and enthusiasm was infectious. His knowledge and compassion combined with his ability to adapt made our trip incredible. His thirst for humanity and ability to highlight what we would normally walk past, was phenomenal and for two people who are no strangers to the profession of street shooting, we learned and we grew immensely. Harry takes your hand when you want him to, and he will step to the side when you are ready to soar. He is an ally, a confidant and a true teacher.

Ami And Chris Riess (www.riesshill.com Santa Monica, California)

ITINERARY

Day 1: MADRID.-

Upon arrival in Madrid you will be picked up and transferred to the hotel. After lunching at the hotel we will begin with a driving tour in order to orient ourselves.

After that, we’ll start exploring the city, starting with the Old Town district of Barrio de las Letras, former home to Miguel de Cervantes ”the author of Don Quixote. Besides the bustling fruit markets and teeming plazas, we’ll encounter a few interesting places, shoe cobblers, traditional food kiosks.

We’ll have a photo session at a bullfighting school in the city where the young toreros learn their craft or attend a training session.

Overnight in Hotel.

Day 2: MADRID - CÓRDOBA

In the morning we will have enjoy a photo session where we will be witnessing how a bullfighter dresses in his "traje de luces" (the suit he wears in the bullfight). This is a very special ceremony which follows an old tradition.

We’ll leave after an early lunch for the southern city of Córdoba, once the seat of the Moorish Empire. We’ll start off with a visit to the old city accompanied by two models for a great photo session.

Overnight in Hotel.

Day 3: CÓRDOBA

Today we’ll be up early to a private estate where we have organized a private photo session with Spanish Style horse and a flamenco dancer in an incredible show . We will see a rider (jinete) riding an Andalusian horse to music, whilst doing a complex "pas de deux" with a woman dressed in Flamenco and performing a Flamenco dance.

Back to the city where, if time allows we will go for an investigator’s tour of Córdoba, heading into the old Jewish quarter and also some of the churches . We will have lunch at a very special restaurant with a great atmosphere and "Tapas".

After lunch we will have some spare time for a walk or short "Siesta" which will be followed by a visit to a "Tablao Flamenco" (Flamenco club) . Backstage passes to an authentic flamenco show. There we will conduct a photo session with the dancers.

Again, a great restaurant.

Overnight in Hotel.

Day 4: CÓRDOBA - UBEDA - BAEZA

In the morning departure in a walk for t the edge of Old Town along the Guadalquivir river, and then make our way exploring through the town just as all the merchants and shop keeps open for the day, and have a bit of an off the cuff spontaneous shooting session. We’ll take a leisurely café con leche before heading off to look at the Patios of Córdoba.

Decorated in the traditional way with white washed walls and intricate tiles, these patios are full of flowers in bright colors and arranged in a spectacular display of gardening. We’ll have special access to some of these patios.

Early lunch and we’ll take off early for Ubeda and the city when we arrive. We will visit the cuty as well as Baeza.

Both World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.

The city possesses 48 monuments, and more of another hundred of buildings of interest, almost all of them of Renaissance style. Though to the romantic travelers of the 18th and 19th centuries it impressed more the Muslim flavor of its streets than this Renaissance brilliance. All this patrimony led Úbeda to being the second city of renowned Spain Historical – artistic Set, in the year 1955.

Overnight in Hotel.

Day 5: ÚBEDA -GRANADA

Early departure for Granada. We’ll spend the morning exploring the city, and getting acquainted with the different and very intersting areas next to our hotel as well as the walled Andalucian architecture against the backdrop of the majestic mountains beyond.

After lunch in a typical and renowned "Tapas" place, some free time for a rest or walk.

In the afternoon we have set a private photo session with a guitar player in a special scenario.

We will later head towards the Albaycin for an incredible view over la Alhambra for the photo session as the sun sets low over the green and dusty red Andalucian landscape sunset, followed by a dinner at the same spot-

Overnight in the Hotel

Day 6: GRANADA

In the morning we get to the grandest medieval structure in the whole country: La Alhambra. An Unesco World Heritage site , which was the capital of the late Moorish caliphate. We will have photo sessions in different parts of Granada’s Red Castle

We’ll have lunch at another great "Tapas" restaurant.

In the afternoon, after a short walk in the area of Sacromonte we will have a private photo session in a Flamenco "cave".

Dinner and Overnight in Hotel.

Day 7: GRANADA - LUCENA

In the morning we will head out to the old Moorish district, the Albaycin, In 1994 it was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site. With its narrow streets arranged in an intricate network that extends from the upper area, called San Nicolás, to the river Darro and Calle Elvira, located in the Plaza Nueva. The traditional type of housing is the Carmen granadino, consisting of a free house surrounded by a high wall that separates it from the street and includes a small orchard or garden.

We will then have lunch on the way to Lucena.

Overnight in Hotel.

Day 8: LUCENA - SEVILLA

In the morning we will head to Sevilla, one of the grandest, most photogenic places in all of Spain. We have organized a private photo session in a privately oowned large Andalouzian estate with models dressed as Flamenco dancers. The setting is splendid.

Back to Sevilla. If time allows we will visit the city before lunch. We will head to lunch, and afterwards, we’ll have a walking tour of Sevilla and get some off the cuff spontaneous shots of the bustling old town, the throngs in the open air markets, and the sights of centuries old churches and spires etched against the sky.

Dinner and overnight in Hotel.

Day 9: SEVILLA

In the morning we’ll visiting the city. Sevilla is a gorgeous place with plenty of small places to explore and a lot of movement and life. The most important places and monuments. The area of Macarena and Triana, and -of course - The Alcázar, the Cathedral, and the Archivo General de Indias (General Archive of the Indies) , UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

We will have a number of photographic opportunities.

Overnight in Hotel.

Day 10: SEVILLA - RONDA

Early we’ll set out for the storied town of Ronda, where the fabled Puente Nuevo sits astride the Tajo Gorge and the Guadalevin River, some 120m across and nearly 400m deep. It is carved right into the rock and makes a very impressive sight, as well as a photogenic one.

Ronda is also a place of great importance in both Moorish history and the history of bullfighting. We will investigate the city and have a walking photographic session and explore the local business and nooks, including a stained glass artisan and a traditional iron worker, before heading to lunch in the Moorish quarter.

We will experience the thrill of a PRIVATE bullfight (though it will be a practice only, with a young bull, and no animals will be harmed during the experience). We will have time with the "torero" and the bulls before the spectacle, of course, and then we will see the toreros in action and the fury of the bull as it fights, so that we have the complete story covered by our cameras .

Overnight after dinner in our hotel.

Day 11: RONDA - MADRID

Transfer to Madrid and airport for all international connections. End of services.

EXTENSIONS

Optional Extension: PORTUGAL

Day 1: LISBOA

We’ll spend the day in Lisbon, (known as the oldest city in Europe,) and explore historical and avant-garde neighborhoods such as Baixa, (downtown,) and Bairro Alto. Lisbon is a vibrant old world city with distinct historical and avant-garde neighborhoods to photograph.

Reaching the miradouros to get the best views of the city and the Tagus River and driving through cobbled, narrow streets to reach hilltops with fantastic vistas of the city, Tagus River, and the 25th April Bridge.

We’ll hear the clang of the bright yellow #28 Tram and capture images as it threads its way through the twisty streets.

The historical churches at Jeronimos Monastery and the Pantheon provide opportunities to photograph Gothic, Manueline, and Moorish architecture from the 16th Century.

We will also explore the restored Saloia village called Aldea de Mata Pequena. You will be captivated by the charms of the small houses and antiques set in a rural environment overlooking lush valleys and hills..

Day 2.- LISBOA - SINTRA - COIMBRA - PORTO

Sintra .-

Early departure for Sintra. just as the famed palaces are starting to shine. It is a wonderful setting for architectural photography, the subjects including a crumpled Moorish castle, the national palace, and the strange chimneys of a castle with more than 1,500 years of history.

Rugged cliffs rise above the surf, speckled with a rainbow of green. Cobbled lanes are flanked by crumbling architecture, and townhouses lean evocatively into each other. This is Sintra, a UNESCO World Heritage landscape that has been the home of royalty for centuries and was the poetic inspiration for Lord Byron.

As we drive through the woods of the Sintra mountains, we’ll stop along the way to photograph old quintas and majestic royal palaces in the distance. Cabo da Roca, the most westerly point in continental Europe,) is a place to photograph the lighthouse and rugged cliffs along the Atlantic.

Coimbra.-

This morning we'll journey to Coimbra

In terms of historic significance and romantic beauty, Coimbra is second only to Lisbon and Oporto. Its ancient buildings cling to the side of the hill that rises above the curves of the river Mondego, the ornate buildings of the famous University of Coimbra are its crowning glory.

Indeed the university is still the lifeblood of the city and the change in atmosphere is notable when the summer holidays come and the thousands of students head back to their hometowns. Reputed to be the second oldest in the world, the Universidade de Coimbra opened it doors in 1290 and has produced many nationally and globally acclaimed academics.

We will have a Photo Session of the traditional music of Portugal – Fado – however in Coimbra it has its own distinctive flavor, renowned for being more melancholy and having complex lyrics.

Caped bards of the university, known collectively as the Tuna Académica often perform such concerts.

Accessing the old part of the city through the Arco de Almedina, we find two cathedrals known as Se Velha (old) and Se Nova (new) referring to their respective ages, and though the ‘new’ one dates back to the 17th century its senior was founded in 1170.

Day 3: PORTO

Porto is one of Europe’s oldest urban centers and is a designated UNESCO World Heritage site. We will shoot the city until the sunsets on the ocean. Porto’s most striking characteristic is that of ‘faded grandeur’. In Europe there are very few remaining cities that can do ‘faded grandeur’ quite on the scale of Porto, you’d have to travel to Cuba or Argentina for competition. The feeling is accentuated by the mix of Baroque, Neoclassical and splash of Belle Epoque architecture, all in varying degrees of preservation.

Porto is one of the world’s oldest demarcated wine regions (since 1756). The Douro Valley showcases steep terrace vineyards carved into mountains, granite bluffs, and whitewashed quintas (estates) and 18th-century wine cellars that draw in visitors from around the world. We’ll be tasting the ports and wines, traveling winding scenic roads, visiting postcard-pretty villages and enjoying excellent regional restaurants. After a long day we return to Porto for a well deserved rest.

WHAT'S INCLUDED

Prices are per person, based on double occupancy and for 10 travelers (see the surcharge for less if aplicable). A limited quantity of single-occupancy rooms are available for an additional charge.

The maximum number of participants are listed under "Maximum Group" in the Price section of each individual workshop. However, we reserve the right to add by up to two, the maximum number of participants per workshop at any time.

PRICE

OTHER DATES

TRIP DETAILS

Prices are per person, based on double occupancy and for 10 travelers (see the surcharge for less if aplicable). A limited quantity of single-occupancy rooms are available for an additional charge.

The maximum number of participants are listed under "Maximum Group" in the Price section of each individual workshop. However, we reserve the right to add by up to two, the maximum number of participants per workshop at any time.

PHOTOGRAPHER

Harry Fisch, has been a photographer for more years than he cares to remember. He has photographically documented more than 50 countries through which he has traveled.
Winner of the "Places" category 2012 World National Geographic Photo with his work "Preparing the prayers in the Ganges", the picture was later disqualified due to editing-out a plastic bag. Finalist and short listed of the Sony World Photography Awards, as well as by Photoespaña, the most prestigious Spanish photographic event.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Travel arrangements, logistics, stocks, supports and all aspect of insurance, in accordance with current spanish legislation, as all related to the activity of the Travel Agent is sole responsability of Trekking y Aventure, Official Travel Agency No. c.i.ma 1038. Nomad Photo Expeditions is a brand that belongs to Elite Line SL, a company based in Madrid, Spain. Marqués de Urquijo, 30.